Career Opportunities

Why Chiropody at The Michener Institute?

Michener is the only English-speaking Chiropody program in Canada, and has a working Chiropody Clinic on campus for students to treat patients under the supervision of licensed Chiropodists who are also Michener Faculty.

As a primary health care practitioner in Chiropody, you will be involved in the assessment and management of foot and lower limb conditions. Many graduates find rewarding work in public community health centres and hospitals or even open their own private practices. You will also work with many different healthcare professionals such as Nurses, Dermatologists, Vascular Surgeons, Orthopedic Surgeons, Physiotherapists and Physicians.

Chiropody is a regulated health profession; to work as a Chiropodist in Ontario, you must be registered with the College of Chiropodists of Ontario. Graduates are eligible to write the College’s provincial registration exams.

Chiropody is a branch of medical science that involves the assessment and management of foot and lower limb disorders: this includes the management of a wide variety of disorders, injuries and local manifestations of systemic conditions.

Foot deformities, infections and injuries not only limit your mobility, but can detrimentally affect your health and quality of life.

A Chiropodist is a primary care professional practicing in podiatric medicine that specializes in assessment, management and prevention of diseases and disorders of the foot. An essential member of the inter professional healthcare team, the Chiropodist is skilled in assessing the needs of their patients and of managing both chronic and acute conditions affecting foot and lower limb function. As a primary care provider capable of independent clinical practice, these skills are often practiced independent of medical referral and medical supervision.

The role of the Chiropodist is to maintain and improve patient mobility, to alleviate foot pain, provide health education and thereby improving one’s quality of life. A Chiropodist provides care to a diverse range of patients and can specialize in the following areas:

Diabetic Foot Care

Sport Injuries

Pediatrics

Geriatrics

Rheumatology

Biomechanical Assessment and Gait Analysis

Podiatric Soft Tissue Surgery

Wound Care

Effective practice requires a high degree of manual dexterity, diagnostic skills, a caring and professional attitude and effective communication skills. A career in podiatric medicine is both varied and challenging.

Job satisfaction. Chiropodists make a real difference in patients’ lives by keeping them mobile and pain free, which dramatically improves their quality of life.

Variety. Clinical services can be provided to the whole population ranging from children to the elderly.

Teamwork. Chiropodists work with many different health care professionals. They are integral members of the health care team, along with Nurses, Dermatologists, Vascular Surgeons, Orthopedics, Physiotherapists and Physicians (both General Practitioners and Specialists).

The Graduate Advanced Diploma of Health Sciences (Chiropody) is a three-year, 7 semester, full time program. There is one intake each year, in September. The first and third year of the program run from September to April, while the second year of the program includes a Summer semester.

Tuition fees are based on the entire duration of the program of study. For your convenience, these fees have been broken down into three equal payments that can be made annually. Also, each annual fee can be split into two payments which will be due in the summer and late fall of each academic year.

You will be assigned to clinical placement site(s) through Michener’s Office for Clinical Education. This process begins with an information session in the first semester of your program.

During the first two years of the Chiropody program, you will have opportunities to gain hands-on clinical experience with patients in Michener’s Chiropody Clinic on campus. In the third year of the program, you will be placed in one of the program’s affiliated clinical sites, including teaching and community hospitals, community health centres or private clinics located in Ontario. During this time you will work under the close supervision of Chiropodists to integrate knowledge and skills into practice. Clinical placements also provide you the opportunity to network with potential employers.

You may be placed in more than one clinical site during your clinical placement period, based on the required clinical competencies for your program and the range of services at the clinical sites.

Clinical partner sites are subject to change, therefore, specific geographic regions may not be available at the time of your placement; other regions may be added. Please note that when you accept a seat in the program, you also accept to go to any of the program’s affiliated clinical sites available at the time of your placement. In addition, you agree to comply with the following mandatory requirements which must be completed prior to the start of your clinical placement:

First Aid and CPR Certification for Health Care Providers

N95 Mask Fit Testing

Updated Vulnerable Persons Check (also required upon admission)

Updated TB Test (also required upon admission)

Up to date vaccinations

Michener highly recommends all students be vaccinated with influenza vaccine. This vaccine may be mandatory at some clinical sites. Students must follow clinical site protocol.

Testimonials

The Chiropody program at The Michener Institute has allowed me to continue on with my practical learning experience from university. The clinical setting not only exposes me to my field, but challenges me to work as a part of a medical team treating the patient. This is the type of reward that I am looking for in a career.